AN: I don't own Merlin. I am definitely grateful that the writers managed to make such a great and popular series, which I just fell in love with!
Warning: English is not my mother tongue, so it is entirely possible there are spelling or grammar mistakes in my story. Do not hesitate to point them out to me. Enjoy!
Spoilers for a few episodes: 5.12-5.13, but also 4.05.
Update (05-15-2013): Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story!
Being the son of Arthur Pendragon was something to be proud of. William knew that. And really, he felt it too, no question about that. His father had been a good King. He had had the respect of his knights, earned because of his fighting skills and his ability to lead his army to victory. His people all over the kingdom had respected him, not out of fear, but rather through his actions, both as prince and King. He'd earned that respect, by fighting for what he believed was right and not leaving his people to die while staying safely in his castle. His father had cared for his people, and in return, they had pledged their loyalty only to him. William had heard enough stories about the people refusing to yield to Morgana both times she had tried to take over the throne.
So yes, William was proud to be Arthur's son. Only now, at seventeen, he had reached the age where he could think critically. And he came to the conclusion that not all of the achievements attributed to his father, had really been his father's. King Arthur was known as the High King of a united Albion, while Albion had only been united after his death. That didn't seem right. And the stories and prophecies about his father returning magic to the lands. William knew it was his mother who had abolished the laws against magic and who had allowed the return. So why does everyone say that those are part of his father's legacy? That was the main question he had.
He had pondered about going to his mother about it, but he didn't want to hurt her with his questions. Even after all these years, the Queen had not gotten over her husband's death. She had been strong for the people, but those that knew her personally knew that she still missed him. The only one that managed to get through to her in her darkest moments was William himself. And he knew that questioning his father's accomplishments would hurt her, would make her feel as if she had failed Arthur. Going to his uncles was another option, but he knew that all of them were too emotionally connected to his father. Merlin, Leon and Percival were loyal, and they would always be loyal to their King.
No, what he needed was someone who did not have that connection to his father, but who had known him and the way he had ruled. William had no idea who he could talk to. The people were not aware of what happened at court, so they were out of the question. The nobles at court were all too young to be of value, since most of the courtiers had been old in his father's days, and had now given the honour to their sons, who didn't know much about Arthur's rule. So, there was no one he could talk to, William thought.
That is, until Camelot was visited by the queens of two of the kingdoms in Albion, Queen Annis and Queen Mithian. Mithian had become Queen after her father's death, some fifteen years ago now. Both Queens had become very good friends of his mother's, so they visited at least once a year, preferably at the same time, so the three of them could catch up. Annis was older than the other two, but they were the only three female rulers, so they had bonded over that.
Today was the day the Queens would arrive, and William was standing next to his mother in the courtyard. Annis was the first to arrive, and he stepped up respectfully to help her of her horse. She gave him a smile and a nod to thank him. When he stepped back, she looked him over. "You look more like your father every time I see you, William." He tried to hide a flinch, but it seemed that the Queen had noticed anyway, and she narrowed her eyes before smoothing out her face. "Thank you, my Lady. Shall I escort you to your rooms or do you prefer to wait here for Queen Mithian?" "I'll wait, but I believe we need to have a talk in the next few days, just the two of us?" William lowered his eyes for a moment before nodding. After that, the two of them went up to Guinevere, where Annis proceeded to embrace the younger woman warmly.
They only had to wait for ten more minutes before the party from Nemeth arrived. Again, William was the one who helped down the Queen. In thanks, Mithian embraced him. When they parted, he smiled at her. When he had been younger, William had a crush on the Queen of Nemeth. It was understandable, surely, since Mithian was a beautiful woman, and she had always been very nice to him. When he was only a small child, he had not liked any girl, so the first time he met her, he had been reluctant to meet her. But the Queen quickly won him over when he heard that she knew his father, and ever since then, he had asked her to tell him a story during every visit. Of course, the last few years, he had become a little old for the stories, but they still spent some time together every time she visited.
"Look at you! Almost all grown up. Where's that little boy that I met? By this time next year, you will be allowed to lead the army." She smiled at him proudly. William shook his head. "No, I'd rather leave that to the more experienced fighters. I want to deserve that position, instead of getting it because I'm the prince of Camelot." Mithian cocked her head. "From what I've heard, you do deserve it. You may not have the experience, but rumour has it that you are the best fighter in Camelot. I've even heard you're the best in the whole of Albion." He started laughing. "Definitely an overstatement. Now, allow me to escort you to your friends, my Lady." He held out his arm, which she took, and both of them went up to the two waiting Queens. The reunion was a joyful one, and soon, the three women had gone into the castle to have lunch together and to catch up. William was left with the servants and knights of the two royals, so he showed them to the rooms where the woman would reside during their stay. He realised that talking to Caerleon's Queen might help him with his doubts, so he was looking forward to that talk she had asked him.
William had to wait for two days before a servant of Annis came to tell him that she requested a meeting with him in her private rooms. He had just returned from training, so he quickly freshened up before presenting himself to the Queen. When he arrived at her chambers, she was waiting for him in a chair at the head of the table, a lunch for two set in front of her. "I thought you might be hungry after your training. Your mother has a council meeting this afternoon, so we have time to talk. Why don't you come join me?" He agreed and took the chair closest to her at the side. The servants left the chambers to give them their privacy. They started their lunch, talking about trivial matters. It was only after they had finished that Annis sat back and became serious.
"What is bothering you, William? I was giving you a compliment when I said you looked like your father, but you flinched. I know you are proud of him, so that can't be it. So, do you want to talk about it?" William looked at the ground. Should he tell her? He knew she could be trusted to tell him the truth, and she was more neutral than anyone here in Camelot could hope to be. But what if Annis told his mother? He really needed to talk about it, though, so he decided to forget about that for the moment.
"I… I am proud of my father. I know he was a great King. But I don't know… Lately, I've been thinking, and some things don't make all that much sense to me. He has a whole legacy, about uniting Albion and allowing magic back… But those were only accomplished after he died, so I don't understand." He looked up at Annis again. She was looking at him with understanding. "I see. And I suppose you cannot talk about this with anyone here in Camelot, because you fear they cannot answer you objectively?" William nodded. "Would you mind if Mithian joined us? I believe she could help me to help you understand." He sighed, but nodded again. Annis sent one of her servants to get the other Queen, who arrived after only a few minutes. They sent all the servants out again before explaining to Mithian why she was needed.
It was Mithian who started. "So, let's start with the magic, alright? The laws against magic were only abolished after your father died, you are right about that. But, William, you've heard enough to know that Arthur did start the process. He stopped the persecution of druids, that was a step in the right direction." William nodded. "I know, but that didn't mean that he accepted magic… He never changed the laws." This time, Annis answered. "You must understand how much your father had suffered because of magic. He lost both his parents and his sister to it. Up until the very end, he had only seen magic being used for evil. Merlin may have been using it to save Arthur since the day he arrived in Camelot, but he never told your father." "I know. He probably didn't trust my father enough to tell him." "William," Mithian chided him gently. "Merlin trusted your father with his life. It wasn't Arthur's view on magic that stopped him, it was because he knew Arthur would be angry about the lies. So the good side of magic stayed hidden from your father for the most part."
William nodded again. "I understand all that. But my father wasn't the one who returned magic to the kingdom, so why does everyone say that he was? That's what I don't understand." Again, it was the younger Queen who answered. "Let me ask you a question. You know Arthur knew about Merlin's magic in the end. What do you think he would have done if he had survived?" The prince frowned, thinking. "He would have… oh, he would have changed the laws," he realised. Mithian smiled at him softly. "Yes, he would have. He finally understood everything Merlin had ever done for him. And despite Merlin being a servant, no one who knew them can deny that he was Arthur's best friend. He valued his opinion above anyone else's, which I could see even from the first time I met them. He never could have executed him, he wouldn't even have been able to send him away. And yes, your father may have been angry about the lies for a while, but in the end, their friendship and loyalty was strong enough to survive all that."
The prince sighed. "Okay, I get all of that. But it still wasn't my father who changed the laws." "No, it wasn't. But if you think about it, your mother changed the laws because she knew that was what her husband would have wanted. And because magic had been protecting Arthur and the kingdom. Without Arthur, the kingdom would not have had that protection. Your father was the reason Merlin, or in this case Emrys, existed. So, in the end, he was the one that made magic come back to the lands," Mithian concluded. William thought about it for a few minutes. Then he looked up and nodded. "I understand, I think. But what about uniting Albion? Why did you make him the High King? He wasn't here anymore?"
"Maybe I should take this one. Mithian was here, but it was her father who represented his kingdom at that time." Annis looked at the younger woman, who nodded. "The treaty uniting all of the kingdoms was signed after your father's death, yes. But strangely, it was his death that enabled that treaty. Your father was a great and honourable King, William, and because of that he had earned the respect of all the rulers at the time. He was the only one who had treaties and even friendships with all of the other kingdoms. Some of us were at war with each other. Others just at odds. Most of the rulers just ignored each other or were indifferent. In his short reign, and even before he became king, Arthur earned the respect of all of us. Olaf, Bayard, Godwyn, Aleander, who was Alined's successor, me, Rodor, Lot… Even Odin agreed to a truce in the end. Your father sought peace, he said that to me the first time I met him.
When he died, all of us came to pay our last respects. Your mother had arranged a service in his memory. For the first time in history, all of the rulers were at the same place. And then Merlin and your mother told us about Arthur's dream, uniting the kingdoms. We were already gathered, so why not try? Of course, it took more than one meeting to get to a united Albion, but we made it in the end. Your father may not have been present, but he gave us the opportunity. And that was enough, as we have lived in peace ever since."
"Okay, so maybe uniting the kingdoms was in some way his achievement. But why didn't you choose one of you to become High King or Queen? You gave that honour to a dead man, and then the title went to my mother. And you've made it hereditary, so when my mother dies, I will become High King…" Annis looked at him. "It was your father's dream. He was the only one that had even been thinking about it. None of us would have ever managed to put aside our differences enough to ever achieve that sort of piece. So your father was the only one who deserved that honour. And we made it hereditary because Camelot is the heart of Albion. It's located at the centre, and you have something none of the other kingdoms have." William frowned. "What do we have that is so special?" The older woman smiled. "Camelot has the wisdom of Merlin, the wisdom that guided your father, that is still guiding your mother. And William, you yourself have grown up with that wisdom. Your father became the great King that he was with help from Merlin, and one day, you will be just as great a King as he was."
The prince swallowed and looked at Annis hesitantly. "But what if I'm not? I mean, he has a whole legacy. It's a lot to live up to and I won't ever be able to do as much as he did…." The Queen looked at him with a soft smile on her face. "Ah. Now we're getting to the real issue." William frowned. "No, that's not an issue… I mean…" He was interrupted by Mithian. "Yes, I think it is, William. You weren't doubting your father, not really. The underlying issue is you doubting yourself. And by trying to tell yourself that your father never really achieved all that, you hoped you would feel better about yourself. But you need to know, there is nothing to live up to. William, you just need to be yourself."
The boy looked confused but spoke again. "What if I never achieve anything? If I'm just an ordinary King? I want him to be proud of me…" Annis called his name so he would look at her. "William, you just need to be you to make Arthur proud. He wouldn't want you to imitate him, or to think just like him… You are allowed to form your own opinions, to do what you feel is right. Think about it: in the end, your father went against practically everything his father taught him, because he felt it to be the right thing."
"But what if what I believe to be the right thing is actually not right? What if I make mistakes?" "You are only human, you are allowed to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. Arthur made mistakes too, he wasn't infallible. You know that I almost started a war for one of his mistakes. But people will forgive you those mistakes of you are willing to admit to and make up for them."
"Oh. Right… I suppose you forgave him. How did you even do that? I mean, didn't he…" William hesitated. He didn't want his words to hurt Annis. She smiled at him sadly. "Yes, he was the one who killed my husband. And I wanted revenge for that, I almost started a war. But your father came to me personally, to convey his regret and to offer another solution. Even then, he showed his wish for peace. He showed how different he was from his father, who would not have hesitated in starting a war. In the end, I'm glad that I managed to give him the benefit of the doubt. My army may have been large, but we would never have won. Arthur was a brilliant strategist and a great warrior. On top of that, his knights were willing to die for him, just like he was willing to die for them. There would have been great losses for both sides, but Camelot would have been victorious. Arthur knew that, and still, he offered an alternative way to solve our conflict. He may have been young, he may have been an inexperienced King, but he showed potential. Potential to be a great and wise King."
"So you just forgave him?" "No, not immediately. But I could live with the agreement we made. It was only later that the relationships between Camelot and Caerleon improved. Your father helped me in removing some threats at the border. Lot trying to take advantage of the death of my husband by invading my kingdom. Ironically, the same thing my husband had been doing to Camelot. Arthur learned from his mistake and advised me not to kill the captain of the army, Lot's son…"
William's eyes widened when he heard that part of the story. "Oh. I didn't know that." "Not a lot of people know that. I'm not proud of it myself. But it did help me to understand your father's position. And William, can I give you some advice?" When he nodded, Annis continued. "When you become King, make sure that your decisions are your own. It's okay to ask for guidance, but don't let anyone else dictate how you should act. Because I realised at some point that Arthur's biggest mistakes were made when he let someone else influence him too much."
William looked up into Annis' wizened eyes and nodded. He had learned a lot during their talk. When Mithian spoke, he jumped a bit, for a moment he had forgotten she was there too. "Maybe you should go to your room now to have some time to think this all through? Your mother expects you for dinner in two hours, so you have a while. Just… William, there is no reason to doubt yourself. You are young, your mother is still in full health. You have time to grow up and learn everything you will need to know. By the time you have to take over, you will be ready. Just believe in that, okay?" William nodded again and stood up. He thanked the two Queens and left.
It was only when he arrived back in his room that he realised the talk had eased his mind. And it was only a very long time after that day, that he realised they had been right.
I know there wasn't a lot of action in this story (well, none, actually), and I'm sorry for that, but I wanted to explain how I think this legacy would affect his future heir. I imagine it can't be easy living up to it. So I had William have this talk, to sort through his own feelings.
But for the people who managed to get to the end: Thank you!
For people who are interested in reading more about William, you could check out my other stories 'Of Princes and Guardian Angels' and 'Of Princes and Visiting Queens'. In these stories, William is four and five respectively, so there is some cuteness ;).